Download Chapter 5, “The Rise of Rome”

“The Rise of Rome”
Major rivers of Italy-Arno, Po, Tiber,
Major mountains-Apennines, Alps
Early Roman History (by 750 B.C., three groups lived on Rome’s seven hills) They
were:
1. Romans or Latins, small farmers who lived under the domination of the Etruscans
2. Greeks colonists settled in Rome c.750 B.C.
Horace, a famous Roman author of the 1st century AD, stated “captive Greece took
captive her conqueror”; meaning that the Romans were heavily influenced by Greek
culture. For example, Romans took the Olympian Gods as their own; the Greek Zeus was
called Jupiter in Rome.
Historians often describe Roman culture as Greco-Roman or Classical Culture because
Roman culture is actually a combination of the Roman and Greek cultures.
3. Etruscans settled in Italy around c.1200 but were defeated in 509 B.C. by the Romans.
The Romans adopted from the Etruscans: skills in metalworking, the style of dress known
as the toga, an alphabet, military tactics, arches in architecture, and gladiatorial combat.
Mythical founding of Rome
Romans had 2 versions of their city’s founding. These conflicting stories didn’t bother
the Romans.
1. Vergil (70-19 B.C) Aeneid. In this epic poem, Aeneas, a Trojan prince survives the
Trojan War and escapes to Italy, where he founds a new Troy, Rome. (The Aeneid
borrows heavily from Homer’s Iliad.)
2. Romulus and Remus c. 753 B.C. According to this myth, two twin boys were
abandoned by their mother, thrown into the Tiber, rescued and raised by a great she-wolf,
and built opposing settlements on Rome’s hills. Remus ridiculed his brother’s work and
was slain for it. Rome is named for Romulus.
**The Romans wrote the first history of their civilization, 1000 years after the founding
of the city. They placed the date of founding as April 21, 753 B.C. Archaeological
evidence supports this!
ROMAN REPUBLIC 509 - 31 B.C.
From 509 B.C. to 31 B.C., the Romans conquered Italy and the Mediterranean Sea.
The Romans defeated the Etruscan king, Tarquinius ‘the Proud’ in 509 B.C., thus
establishing themselves as the rulers of Rome
The Romans then conquered Italy- 1. Latin League (an alliance of Romans and other
Latin people in Italy), was used to defeat the Etruscans. The Romans then turned on their
Latin allies, defeated them, and forced them to accept Roman supremacy in northern and
central Italy. 2. Samnite Wars 343 B.C. – 304 B.C. The Romans defeated mountain
people, called the Samnites, in southern Italy. By 304 B.C. the Romans dominated Italy.
The Romans conquered the Mediterranean Sea by 133 B.C.
By winning the Punic Wars with Carthage, today Tunis, Tunisia in North Africa, the
Romans controlled the whole of the Mediterranean Sea.
The Punic Wars were fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 B.C. – 133 B.C.
Punic Wars were fought by Rome to gain commercial superiority. However, the Romans
accused the Carthaginians of cannibalism and human sacrifice and said that this justified
war against them.
1st Punic War – Carthage wanted the tiny island of Sicily just off the coast of southern
Italy but Rome won the first Punic War. Sicily became the first Roman province.
2nd Punic War- Spain was used by Carthaginians for copper mines and for soldiers in
their army. In the 2nd Punic War, Fabian (Roman commander) and Hannibal
(Carthaginian commander) fight a series of battles. Hannibal chased Fabian (nicknamed
the Delayer) all the way back to Italy and crossed the Alps on elephants before Fabian
was finally replaced. Scipio Africanus replaced Fabian and Hannibal was forced out of
Italy. Spain was taken by the Romans.
3rd Punic War- Carthage was invaded and completely destroyed by the Romans. Salt was
put into Carthage’s soil and the majority of its people were killed. Carthage became
Rome’s province.
The Romans referred to the Mediterranean Sea as, MARE NOSTRUM, “our sea,” after
defeating Carthage, which had been Rome’s only major challenger in the Mediterranean
Sea.
Government in the Republic
**Social divisions become political divisions. The highest ranking members of Roman
society (wealthy landowners known as patricians) held the highest ranking positions in
the government of the republic. The lowest classes (the plebeians) were the working class
and the soldiers of Rome and had little voice in government.
Study the following carefully. The first 4 positions could only be held by patricians.*
Dictator
(for six months, emergency only position, 1 of the consuls)
In peace time, Rome’s highest officials were consuls.
Consuls*
(2 men elected annually, had own military, responsible for raising taxes,
proposing laws, and protecting Rome and its provinces. Each had the
power of VETO over the other to prevent either consul from dominating
politics; veto or “I forbid” was provided to keep a check and balance of
power in the republic)
(4 men who filled-in for consuls, when consuls were out of Rome)
(300 men, appointed by consuls for life term, primarily acted as advisors
to the consuls on issues of taxes and were also law makers. They did often
act as assassins and were responsible for foreign diplomacy.)
Praetors
Senate
Assemblies
(popular, democratic element, could veto Senate, spokesperson of the
assemblies was called, “Tribune,” and murder of tribune was a capital
offense. *Power of assemblies grew in power so that by 287 B.C,
plebeians could run for consul.)
The Late Republic (133 – 31 B.C.) characterized by social strife and extremely ambitious
politicians
Tiberius Gracchus (163 – 133 B.C.)
Gaius Gracchus (153 – 121 B.C.)
The Gracchi Brothers, though they were patricians, proposed reforms to aid plebeians.
Tiberius proposed land redistribution or giving land to veterans and the poor. He was
accused of wanting to be dictator so he was killed by the Senate.
Gaius proposed and got fixed price for grain and proposed extending citizenship to the
Latin League. Was he murdered or did he commit suicide? No one knows. . .
The deaths of the Gracchi Brothers led to Civil War between patricians (wanted to keep
things the same, “status quo”) and plebeians (wanted change and equal rights with
patricians). In this time of emergency, strong men, using their own personal militaries
rose to absolute dictatorial power. They were:
Marius consul from 104 – 100 B.C.
Sulla consul from 88 – 79 B.C.
And in 59 B.C., The First Triumvirate (Caesar, Pompey, Crassus). This is the good
stuff!!! We’ll begin here in our next class!!! 